


the boy with the book

by vaporrub



Category: Homestuck
Genre: 1000-2000 words, First Dates, First Meetings, Lunch date, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24656236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaporrub/pseuds/vaporrub
Summary: Everyday, Dave jogs through the park. He passes by the same trees and shrubs, the same benches and fountains, and every single day, Dave passes by the same young man sitting under a tree, sweetly reading a new novel each week.After weeks of trying to build up the nerve to do so, Dave decides to walk up to the stranger.
Relationships: John Egbert/Dave Strider
Kudos: 36





	the boy with the book

The sun shined through the trees leaves and down onto the dirt path. Bird's sung as they skipped from branch to branch, shaking the leaves down. Dying leaves rained from the trees above as Dave ran down the dirt path. Thankfully, it wasn't as hot as it usually was at noon.

Dave was hoping that he'd be able to spot a familiar face again. Dave didn't have a name to place onto the face, but he felt he knew the young man with the large glasses very well. Ever since the first day Dave decided to jog, Dave saw a young man who looked to be about Dave's age sitting down and reading in the park under a large oak tree. As the days went by, the young black haired man would start bringing a blanket to sit on, then a basket of food, and one day when it was particularly hot he started bringing along a small wireless, battery powered fan. Dave remembered one day where he was smiling at the sight of the boy drinking from a cool bottle of ice water. The man with the glasses looked so sweet as he fanned his face and turn towards the fan. The boy spotted Dave watching him as Dave smiled, the young man with the black hair jumped up a bit and covered his face with his book, like he was ashamed. Dave felt a wave of electricity shoot through his chest, the boy sitting under the tree lifted up his face from the book again and gave Dave a gentle wave. Another day, Dave noticed the boy opened up his mouth, it looked like he was going to call out to Dave, but then he started coughing. Dave felt his heart swimming in a sea of pain after that. His chest filled with sorrow, Dave was really hoping that the boy was going to call him over.

Today, Dave decided was finally going to be the day that he was going to walk right up to the young man and finally ask him for his name. Dave thought about speaking to him a lot, how he was going to play it cool and maybe flip his hair a little. Whatever the boy said, Dave was going to agree, whatever the boy likes Dave decided he was going to love. Dave wanted nothing more than to finally just speak with the boy with the book.

Dave was approaching the end of the tree covered path. When Dave ran out of the shaded path he turned his head and saw his favorite oak tree, shading the object of his affections from the heat.

There he was, with his messy inky black hair and another new novel between his fingers. He was resting his back against the trunk as he sat delicately under the shade. He was resting on a picnic blanket, with a thermos, a fan and a basket. He must have gotten hungry because there is an empty plastic plate besides him.

Dave slows down as he walks up the grass, when he approaches the boy, the young man with black hair almost shouts. He gasps and covers his mouth.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Dave smiles down at him, "It's just... uh... I see you here a lot and I thought I'd come up and finally say hi."

"Oh." The boy grabbed onto his novel with both hands.

The boy placed the open book over his face, his thumbs must be creasing the pages with how tightly he's holding it. "Hello."

"I'm Dave, by the way." Dave smiles down at the boy as he uncovers his face and says,

"My name is John." 

There's a second of silence between then before John perks up and offers, "you must be tired! sit! sit!"

Dave follows his instruction as John clears some space for Dave to sit down on the blanket next to him.

John smiles up at the taller boy as he offers, "I have an extra cup, would you like some lemonade?"

"Sure." Dave nods. In all honesty, he was so fucking hot from running about four blocks all through the city day after day he would drink goat piss if it was chilled. 

John pours Dave a cup, as he hands it to him he says, "I hope you like it, I made it myself. I made it from real lemons and kiwis, it has more apple juice in it then lemon juice though." John smiles.

"Really?" Dave smiles down at the cup, "apple juice is like my favorite, man."

"Oh. I'll have to remember that." John says more to himself than to Dave, his eyes widen, like he didn't mean to say that out loud. "Uh... that is if you'd like to have lunch with me again... um... sometime."

"I'd love to man..." Dave nods sweetly, "it's a date."

"It-" John covers his face again with one of his hands. "I..."

John looks away from Dave, the face he's making looks so sweet and flustered, telling Dave he knew he just said the right thing.

Dave goes on, "in all honesty, running through the park was going to be a one time thing for me. I jog like every day anyway but I did that just to challenge myself... then I saw you sitting there and reading... so I kept coming back again and again... trying to work up the nerve to talk to you and uh... ha..." Dave covers his face with his elbow. "I'll just shut up now."

"No no." John gently used a hand to drag Dave's arm away from his face. John sweetly looks up at Dave as he explains, "reading in the park was going to be a one time thing for me too! Then I saw you jogging and I thought that you did that everyday so I... I started... um..."

"You started coming by every day... just to see me?" Dave feels stunned.

John nods, his face still showing how nervous and flustered he is.

Dave lets out a small laugh, "damn... must be fate then."

John grabs his novel again, burring his face in the open book. John's trying to cover his face as it contorts from pain as he hums out his frustrations. Dave figures that John must feel the same then. John hunches over as he tries hard not to just blurt out how much Dave's words must have just got to his heart. Instead he whimpers out, "I agree..."

"You're so cute." Dave chuckles and then starts rubbing John's back. It feels warm to the touch.

 _He's so hot that steam could come off of him._ Dave laughs at the thought.

The two of them stayed under the shade and talked till the sun started to settle down to the horizon. John had explained that he started to make lunches a few weeks ago, he was always hoping to build up the nerve to invite Dave to join him but never knew how to ask.

The two of them enjoyed their first date, Dave walked John home and carried his basket for him. John planted a sweet kiss on Dave's cheek as a thank you.

Before the two of them parted ways, they both decided to meet tomorrow in the same spot as always, only this time John was going to bake Dave a nice chocolate cake and bring him a slice along with a thermos filled with his favorite chilled drink. Dave was already making plans in his mind about how he could run down to the store and pick up a rose and a stuffed bear as a thank you. 

Dave walked back home to his apartment as he let out a gentle hum, his mind echoing the name of the love of his life. _John Egbert._


End file.
